Device for assembling articles



June 241, 1194-1. G fij s fim 234K175 DEVICE FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES Filed Dec. 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented June 24, 1941 DEVICE FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES Gustaf firstriim, Alsten, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Gerh. Arehns Mekaniska Verkstad, Alstromergatan, Sweden, a joint-stock company of Sweden Application December 27, 1938, Serial No. 247,997 In Sweden January 8, 1938 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to such a device having means adapted to present diiferent sides thereof to view for inspection, and it is an object of the invention to provide means for facilitating the supervision of rows of articles having prints, labels or the like, for instance,,to enable a careful inspection of at least four sides of the articles preferably arranged in rows for further assembling and packinginto boxes. It is a further object of the invention! to utilize the improved device for facilitating of the inspection of the articles by providing means for collecting the inspected articles into boxes consecutively after they have been inspected and possibly also turned into correct positions relative to one another. Still another object of the invention consists in the provision of means for enabling a careful inspection by avoiding distraction ofthe employee or operator and to obtain such inspection incessantly at a relatively small distance, even though a large number of articles are present for inspection and possible correction.

These and further objects will more fully appear in the following specification and accompanying drawings, considered together or separately.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like parts in all of the several figures are designated by similar characters of reference, and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view, parts at the right end being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view, taken in the direction III-HI of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2, some parts being omitted;

Fig. 5 is a view, taken on the line VV of Fig. 1 but showing the parts omitted from that figure;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line VI-Vfof Fig. 1,

Referring to the drawings, a chain conveyor I runs over sprocket wheels 3, at the rear end of the device. These sprocket wheels are secured to a continuously rotating driving shaft 4. A conveyor chute 5 extends above the rear end of the device transversely to the conveyor I, and two plates or lids 6 form at their lower,

inwardly bent ends a direct extension of said,

chute. The plates or lids B are interconnected by means of a pin and are secured to shafts l which are rotatably mounted in brackets 30 on the machine frame 3|. To the shaft carrying the foremost lid 6 is secured a transverse pin or lever 8 adapted periodically to be actuated in transit by rods 9 extending transversely of the conveyor The front end of the conveyor runs over idle sprocket wheels l0, and its upper part extends above a conveyor table II, below.

which a rearwardly sloping supporting plate |2 is positioned below the correspondingly sloping lower part of the conveyor. The front end of the table terminates short of the front end of the conveyor and the plate I2, so that the rows of packages or boxes A, advanced by the conveyor laterally upon the table II, will drop between two adjacent rods 9 onto the horizontal front end of the plate l2.

For the purpose of displacing the rows of boxes in their longitudinal directions from one side of the conveyor l and table II to their opposite side an obliquely extending guide rib or bar I3 is arranged immediately above the box supporting plate l2. The rear end of the table II is curved downwards and the rear end of the supporting plate I2 is curved upwards beyond the rear end of the table, so that a curved space 49 is formed between said ends. The rear end of the conveyor I runs within the space 49, and, furthermore, the guide rib l3 extends spirally upwards through said space and extends further above the table II towards its front end, thereby forming a partition 2 between two conveyor tracks extending alongside.

At the front end of the device below the front end of the secondary conveyor track there is arranged a box collecting table l4 upon which the rows of boxes A will be piled up. For the latter purpose, a transversely extending row of toothed wheels I5 is mounted below the front end of the table II. The front faces. of the teeth are curved spirally and rearwardly and are flat at their bottom ends, while the rear faces of the teeth are flat and directed substantially radially. The wheels l5 are secured to a shaft l6 journalled in the machine frame and driven by a chain I! from the shaft 4. The collecting table I4 is supported and movable longitudinally between two rollers l8 and has slots for the toothed wheels l5 projecting therethrough. On its lower side, the table [4 has a toothed rack which meshes with a pinion 20 secured to a shaft 2| which is rotatably journalled in the machine frame 3|. Furthermore, a rope pulley 22 is secured to the shaft 2|. A rope 23 runs over the pulley 22, and another pulley 24, secured to the shaft I6, and said rope can slide upon said pulleys, so as to allow the table M to be pushed back. The front end of the table is is provided with a flap 25 which can be folded down against the action of a spring (not shown).

In operation, packages, boxes or the like A are supplied from a continuous row advancing in the chute conveyor 5. It is assumed that the boxes etc. have prints or labels applied to them in definite positions. Said boxes etc. are to be packed in uniform positions in larger boxes or cartons B. The foremost boxes (five boxes as shown in Fig. 1) are delivered to the flaps 6. As soon as the flaps have received a full portion of boxes the pin 8 is moved aside by an advancing conveyor rod 9 so that the flaps are opened and the row of boxes drops onto the table II between two consecutive rods 9 of the conveyor. Immediately thereupon the flaps 6 are closed again by the weight of the pin 8, for instance. The row of boxes is advanced by arod 9 transversely upon the table H in a direction towards its front end, and an operator positioned in front of the collooting table M has ample time to inspect the upper and front sides of each box advancing towards him. By this movement it is easier to carefully inspect the sides of the boxes than if they were moved laterally past the operator.

Thus the operator has ample time to correct the positions of boxes possibly having an incorrect position with respect to their prints or labels. Therefore the operator can be-occupied with assembling the boxes or packages A into larger boxes orcartons B during the inspection. When the boxes A reach thefront end of the table II (Fig. 6) they drop between two conveyor rods 9 onto the plate l2 between two other conveyor rods 9 and are moved rearwards upon the .plate I2 :by the lower part of the conveyor. Thereby the outermost box in the row rests against the obliquely extending guide rib l3, so that the row of boxes is displaced in its longitudinal direction towards the other longitudinal side (the secondtrack) of the conveyor, i. etthe row of boxes slides longitudinally between two adjacent conveyor rods 9. This displacement takes place until the row of boxes hasbeenconveyed u within the curved rear space 49 to therear horizontal end of the table H. Thereby the row. of boxes has been reversed so that its previous rear and bottom sides have been directed forward and upwards, respectively, and furthermore the said row has obtained a position (Fig. .1) upon the table H at the side of a'row just dropped from the feet ingflaps 6 onto said table. Thus the process will be started-once more but other sides of the boxes hitherto not having. been visible are now visible for inspection. After having once more reached the front end of thetable II the (row of boxes A drops into a pocket 26 formed between the, teeth of the wheels l5, and it is gradually turned edgewise as the wheels 55 rotate. Simultaneously, the spiral front faces of the teeth displace therow of boxes forward onto the col lecting table M. .The downwardly foldable flap 25 of the collecting table I l. has a length (in the feeding direction) slightly less than the width of two boxes. Thus when two rows of boxes have been displacedv upon the collecting table and flap into such .a position that the foremost row projects slightly beyond the flap 25 a carton B is pushed by the operator onto the flap 25 and boxes A, whereupon the operator holds the carton.

and grips the rear row of boxes and bends the flap downwards and pulls the carton with its contents off the flap which is then swung back upwards by the spring actuating same. If the operator by inadvertence or for some other reason has not in due time applied a collecting carton to the flap 25 it might occur that one or several rows of advancing boxes will be displaced over the front edge of the flap 25 and drop therefrom onto the floor. To obviate this the collecting table may, as described, be movable forward in dependence of the supply of boxes to the same. Thus the pinion 2| will move the table l4 forward accordingly as rows of boxes are supplied thereto and piled up one behind the other. In this arrangement, when the operator has removed two rows of boxes from the flap 25 and filled a carton B with boxes he can push the table l4 back, so that two subsequent rows of boxes supplied to the table will be brought into position upon the flap 25 ready for insertion into a carton B.

I claim:

1. Ina device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like, means adapted to present different sides thereof to view for inspection, comprising a primary and a secondary conveyor track extending alongside from a rear end to a front end of the device, means for supplying transversely extending rows of articles to the rear end of said primary track, means for advancing said rows on said track intheir lateral direction towards the front end of said primary track, means extending below said primary track for transferring said rows of articles in their longitudinal direction of extent and transversely to their direction of advance, and rearwardly from the front end ofsaid primary track to the rear end of said secondary track, means for advancing said rows on said secondary track in their lateral direction towards the front end of said secondary track, and means for reversing said rows of articles when being transferred from one conveyor track to the other to turn their rear sides forward and their bottom sides upwards.

2. In a device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like, means adapted to present different sides thereof to view for their inspecting comprising a conveyor table, an endless conveyor having an upper part extending above said table and a lower part extending below said table between a front end and a rear end thereof, a supporting plate for the articles positioned below said lower part of the conveyor, means for driving said conveyor to advance rows of articles upon said table in their transversal direction from the rear end to the front end of said table and thereafter to move said rows of articles rearwardly upon said supporting plate from its front end to its rear end and further in a curved path upwards to reverse and deliver them to the rear end of said table and to move them further upon said table towardsits front end, and a guide extending obliquely to the feeding direction between said table and said sup porting plate from the front end to the rear end of said table to displace the rows of articles in their longitudinal direction transversely to their feeding direction when being moved upon said supporting plate.v

3. In a device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like, means adapted to present different sides thereof to view fortheir inspecting comprising a'conveyor table, an endless conveyor having an upper part extending rearwardly' above said table and a lower part extending below said table between a front end and a rear end thereof, a supporting plate for the articles positioned below said lower part of the conveyor, means for driving said conveyor to advance rows of articles upon said table in-their transversal direction from the rear end to'the front end of said table and thereafter to move said rows of articles rearwardly upon said supporting plate from its front end to its rear end and further in a curved path upwards to reverse and deliver them to the rear end of said table and to move them further upon said table towards its front end, and a guide extending laterally between said table and said supporting plate from the front end to the rear end of said table to displace the rows of articles in their longitudinal direc-' tion transversely to their feeding direction when being moved rearwardly upon said supporting plate, the rear end of said table being curved downwards and the rear ends of said supporting plate and said guide being curved upwards beyond said curved end of said table to form a curved guide for reversing the rows of articles when being transferred upwards from said supporting plate to said table.

4. In a device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like, means adapted to present different sides thereof to view for their inspecting comprising a conveyor table, an endless conveyor having an upper part extending above said table and a lower part extending below said table between a front end and a rear end thereof, a supporting plate for the articles positioned below said lower part of the conveyor, means for driving said conveyor to advance rows of articles upon said table in their transversal direction from the rear end to the front end of said table and thereafter to move said rows of articles rearwardly upon said supporting plate from its front end to its rear end and further in a curved path upwards to reverse and deliver them to the rear end of said table and to move them further upon said table towards its front end, and a guide extending laterally between said table and said supporting plate from the front end to the rear end of said table to displace the rows of articles in their longitudinal direction transversely to their feeding direction when being moved rearwardly upon said supporting plate, the front ends of said conveyor and said supporting plate projecting beyond said table to allow the articles to drop through said conveyor from the front end of said tab-1e onto said plate to be moved rearwards thereon.

5. In a device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like, means adapted to present different sides thereof to view for their inspecting comprising a conveyor table, an endless conveyor having an upper part extending above said table and a lower part extending below said table between a front end and a rear end thereof, a supporting plate for the articles positioned below said lower part of the conveyor, means for driving said conveyor to advance rows of articles upon said table in their transversal direction from the rear end to the front end of said table and thereafter to move said rows of articles rearwardly upon said supporting plate from its front end to its rear end and further in a curved path upwards to reverse and deliver them to the rear end of said table and to move them further upon said table towards its front end, and a guide extending laterally between said table and said supporting plate from the front end to the rear end of said table to displace the rows of articles in their longitudinal direction transversely to their feeding direction when being moved rearwardly upon said supporting plate, said supporting plate and the lower part of said conveyor being positioned at a slight distance below the front end of said table and extending rearwardly apart from said table to the rear end of said table where they extend in a curved path upwards towards said table.

6. In a device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like, means adapted to present different sides thereof to view for their inspecting comprising a conveyor table, an endless conveyor having an upper part extending above said table and a lower part extending below said table between a front end and a rear end thereof, a supporting plate for the articles positioned below said lower part of the conveyor, means for driving said conveyor to advance rows of articles upon said table in their transversal direction from the rear end to the front end of said table and thereafter to move said rows of articles rearwardly upon said supporting plate from its front end to its rear end and further in a curved path upwards to reverse and deliver them to the rear end of said table and to move them further upon said table towards its front end, and a guide extending laterally between said table and said supporting plate between the front and rear ends of said table to displace the rows of articles in their longitudinal direction transversely to their feeding direction when being moved rearwardly upon said supporting plate, said guide extending further in a curved path around the rear end of said table and further above said table towards its front end to form a partition extending in the feeding direction of said conveyor.

7. In a device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like, means adapted to present difierent sides thereof to view for their inspecting comprising a conveyor table, an endless conveyor having an upper part extending above said table and a lower part extending below said table between a front end and a rear end thereof, a supporting plate for the articles positioned below said lower part of the conveyor, means for driving said conveyor to advance rows of articles upon said table in their transversal direction from the rear end to the front end of said table and thereafter to move said rows of articles rearwardly upon said supporting plate from its front end to its rear end and further in a curved path upwards to reverse and deliver them to the rear end of said table and to move them further upon said table towards its front end, and a guide extending laterally between said table and said supporting plate between the front and rear ends of said table to displace the rows of articles in their longitudinal direction transversely to their feeding direction when being moved rearwardly upon said supporting plate, said guide extending further in a curved path around the rear end of said table and further above said table towards its front end to form a partition extending in the feeding direction of said conveyor, said conveyor having driving rods extending across said table and said supporting plate from one side to the other above said guide and said partition.

8. In a device for assembling articles such as packages, boxes and the like, means adapted to present different sides thereof to view for their inspecting comprising a primary and a secondary conveyor track extending alongside from a rear end to a front end of the device, means for advancing rows of articles longitudinally into av position above the rear end of said primary track, means for dropping said rows of articles onto said track, means for advancing said rows on said track in their lateral direction towards the-front end of said device, means for transferring the rows of articles from the front end of said primary track to the rear end of said secondary track, means for advancing said rows uponsaid secondary track in their lateral direction towards the front end of the device, means for maintaining the rows of articles with their longitudinal axes extending transversely to the, longitudinal direction of the tracks while on said tracks, and means for reversing said rows of j articles when being transferred. from one conveyor track to the other to turn their rear sides forward and their bottom sides upwards.

: 9'. In adevice for assembling articles such as device, means for maintaining the rows of ar ticles with their longitudinal axes extending transversely tothe longitudinal direction of the tracks while on said tracks, and means for reversing said rows of articles when being transferred from one conveyor track to the other to turn their rear sides forward and their-bottom sides upwards GUSTAF ons'rnolvx. 

